The present invention relates to a method and a device for controlling a transfer device
Self-propelled harvesting machines such as forage harvesters or combine harvesters typically include a transfer device used to transfer the harvested crop to a transport vehicle or a receiving container. In the case of a forage harvester, for example, the crops are transferred continually during the entire harvesting operation using the transfer device to a transport vehicle traveling alongside it. To accomplish this, the transport vehicle must be driven in parallel with the forage harvester or alongside the forage harvester. The driver of the forage harvester must constantly check the position of the transport vehicle relative to the forage harvester to ensure the harvested crop are transferred exactly and without loss. If the position of the forage harvester relative to the transport vehicle changes, the driver of the forage harvester must manually correct the crop transfer by shifting the position of the transfer device or shifting the transfer-device cover located at the end of the transfer device.
Publication EP 1 454 520 A1 discloses a device for controlling the transfer device on an agricultural harvesting machine that shifts the position of the transfer device as a function of the position of a first actuator relative to the position of a second actuator to better transfer the harvested crop to a transport vehicle, the position of the actuators determining the position of the transfer device.
In this manner it is ensured that the positions of the actuators relative to each other are automatically adjusted, so the driver of the forage harvester need not manually adjust the second actuator when the first actuator is shifted to adapt to a changed situation, since the adjustment of the second actuator is carried out automatically by the control. The purpose is to transfer crops in a manner that minimizes driver effort.
The disadvantage of this design of the control of the transfer device is that the driver of the agricultural harvesting machine must still steer the transfer device and coordinate it with the transport vehicle traveling alongside or behind it, to ensure that the harvested crop is transferred largely without loss. This means that, if the driver rotates the crop-transfer device too far, or at an angle that is unfavorable relative to the transport vehicle, harvested crop will continue to be discharged past the transport vehicle and will fall on the ground as a loss.